Heron Arts

A dramatic space for work, for entertaining and for home, this project occupies two stories of an historic South of Market building. Studio BBA had originally transformed the 8,000 sq. ft. brick warehouse as the LeeQuen Atelier in 2006.

Our design approach for Heron was responsive and explorative, seeking to create a few defining gestures with visual impact, while maintaining the casual, open tone set by the Client. New infrastructure—guest bedroom and bathroom, kitchen and communal restrooms—is appropriately industrial and utilitarian in aesthetic, devised to serve the building’s three, overlapping uses.

A new stair tempts you up to the roof through a sliding skylight. Sculptural LED lighting adds an artful touch and helps define the spatial zones. An over-scaled, custom steel and glass door grounds the design as a throwback to the building’s earlier use as a commercial laundry.